Despite extensive study, cancer, and particularly the process of metastasis, remain major causes of illness and mortality. Prior indications suggest that changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins may play significant roles in cancer progression and metastasis. The field of proteomics involves the study of proteins in complex physiological systems and their role in these systems. Large data sets have been generated using genomic and proteomic methods, but the use of that information to identify the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in disease has been limited. This is because the ECM is insoluble and crosslinked and its composition has been difficult to determine.